Cabinet - Monday 1 June 2026, 7:00pm - Epping Forest District Council webcasts

Cabinet
Monday, 1st June 2026 at 7:00pm 

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  1. Cllr Chris Whitbread
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  1. Cllr Smruti Patel
  2. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  3. Cllr Stephen Murray
  4. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  5. Cllr Stephen Murray
  6. Cllr Ken Williamson
  7. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  8. Cllr Rose Brookes
  9. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  10. Cllr Rose Brookes
  11. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  12. Cllr Rose Brookes
  13. Cllr Chris Whitbread
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  1. Cllr Smruti Patel
  2. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  3. Cllr Stephen Murray
  4. Cllr Smruti Patel
  5. Cllr Chris Whitbread
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  1. Cllr Holly Whitbread
  2. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  3. Cllr Stephen Murray
  4. Cllr Smruti Patel
  5. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  6. Cllr Holly Whitbread
  7. Jennifer Gould
  8. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  9. Cllr Graham Wiskin
  10. Owen Sparks
  11. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  12. Cllr Graham Wiskin
  13. Owen Sparks
  14. Cllr Graham Wiskin
  15. Owen Sparks
  16. Cllr Graham Wiskin
  17. Owen Sparks
  18. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  19. Cllr Jeane Lea
  20. Cllr Smruti Patel
  21. Cllr Holly Whitbread
  22. Jennifer Gould
  23. Cllr Smruti Patel
  24. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  25. Cllr Stephen Murray
  26. Cllr Chris Whitbread
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  1. Cllr Michael Owen
  2. Owen Sparks
  3. Cllr Chris Whitbread
  4. Webcast Finished

I'd like to remind everyone that this meeting will be filmed live or recorded and uploaded
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:00:06
to the internet and will be captured capable of repeated viewing.

1 Webcasting Introduction

Therefore, by participating in this meeting you are consenting to being filmed and to
the possible use of those images and sound recordings.
If any members, any public speakers on MS Teams do not wish to have their image captured,
they should turn their videos off from the start of meeting and set to audio only.
Members when speaking please make sure that you turn your microphone on and
when you finish please turn your microphone off. Apologies for absence.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Any other members?
Councillor S

2 Apologies for Absence

members as you will appreciate if I did a minutes of the previous meeting, can we take
those as being agreed?
Thank you.
Now, at the present time we cannot start this meeting formally.
We are one member short, even though we've got Holly online, we are one member short.
Obviously we are still formulating the cabinet and Councillor Sunger has now joined us to
take on the role of regulatory services.
Smooty Patel is staying as housing and Ken Williamson has taken on a broader planning
role which now includes the pieces that were with previously with poor
Councillor Keska are now with Councillor Williamson so he has a fuller role of
planning and of course Councillor Risby has his role as currently set out

3 Declarations of Interest

along with myself and Councillor Holly Whitbread with finance we are still
talking to various people about positions within the cabinet that still
need to be filled however that gives me a difficulty this evening because whilst
that Cazrisby is very close to us,
about half an hour to three quarters of an hour away,
we are still short of a quorum number.
So we have two options to us.
I can either adjourn this meeting for about three quarters,
between 30 minutes and three quarters of an hour,
or I can adjourn this meeting for a later date.
Members of the cabinet, which would you prefer?
Wait.
Cllr Smruti Patel - 0:02:38
Is it possible where we do the discussion of the rest of the agenda and do the decision -making once it's here?
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:02:46
No, no because Councillor Rispy has to be part of the actual discussion of the items.
But it does mean we will be at least half an hour away from starting the meeting.
Okay, is everyone happy to wait?
Councillor Murray.
Cllr Stephen Murray - 0:02:59
I wasn't going to ask a question on that because I think that decision's for your cabinet.
But I do want to ask a question about the make -up of the cabinet.
Okay, so I just want to make sure I've understood from what I've gathered in terms of who's
here tonight and who can't be here, we've now got one, two, three, four, five, six,
seven in place.
So does that mean there are still two places you are trying to fill?
Councillor Murray, there is either one place to fill, which I'm having discussions within
in my own group about, or there is another place
that I also would like to fill
with regards to social cohesion.
And I'm having further discussions on that at the moment.
Okay, and is that within your own group?
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:03:47
I'm open to discussions with other members,
but that's within my own group at the moment.
Thank you.
And obviously it does explain why I feel
Cllr Stephen Murray - 0:03:56
to Councillor Williamson had even slightly whiter hair
tonight now i know he's in charge of the whole of planning
Councillor Williamson it's a colour i've been working on for years
Cllr Ken Williamson - 0:04:10
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:04:14
Councillor Brooks can i ask a question so if
Cllr Rose Brookes - 0:04:16
if Darshan Councillor Sunger is in charge of regulatory
so that's tvs um does that include no tvs is with contracts which is
Councillor Ray Boulcombe.
Right.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:04:28
So that has not changed.
Cllr Rose Brookes - 0:04:32
Basically what's changed about to Councillor Sunger's
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:04:35
portfolio is he's now including private housing
where he has a particular expertise.
Okay.
In some of what's changing in that.
Okay.
Yeah.
Private.
Yeah.
The rent is reformed.
Cllr Rose Brookes - 0:04:44
Thank you.
Okay.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:04:47
Therefore I'll adjourn the meeting until Councillor Risley
arrives, which should be about between half an hour
and three quarters of an hour.
Thank you.

3 Declarations of Interest

Thank you all and thank you, Kaz. I appreciate how difficult it is sometimes when airlines
are running late. I had it last week myself. It was an absolute nightmare. So thank you
for making the effort to get here for this evening's meeting. If I can just ask, first
of all, have you got any declarations of interest? Kaz? Okay. So then if we go to item 6, public

4 Minutes

questions and request to address the cabinet, are there any?
None, Chairman.

5 Reports of Portfolio Holders

6 Public Questions and Requests to Address the Cabinet

okay thank you we then move on to item 7 which is the report of overview and

7 Overview and Scrutiny

scrutiny but of course with the elections overview and scrutiny hasn't
met in recent weeks so there are is no report from overview and scrutiny we

8 Garage Policy

then move on to item 8 the carriage policy which is council Patel thank you
Cllr Smruti Patel - 0:06:15
chair so I mean we have gone through this one a couple of times it's gone
its rounds. The major change for the policy, not major but the two changes
that we have made, is one where the garages were only meant to house cars.
We don't have cars that fit on those garages anymore, fits inside those
garages anymore. So we are expanding the usage of that to any household items and
furniture or any other vehicles that you might own, but nothing flammable and
still not for business use so that's the main element change on that one. Yep open
to the floor for any questions they may have on that thank you. Thank you and I
appreciate this has gone through overview and scrutiny on a couple of
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:06:56
occasions now. Members any questions? No, Councillor Murray. Yes I'll just like to
make a couple of points you're absolutely right it went through
Cllr Stephen Murray - 0:07:08
communities really in considerable detail I was at that meeting and
and other members made good contributions, supportive of this.
And it is just the reality.
We would all like to say that the garages should be for cars,
but the bulk of the garages we've got now
are just not big enough for even standard cars.
So this change of policy, it makes sense.
And one thing I did want to mention,
that it came up in debate and the director, Dawn Harrison,
and took it on board.
When the HRA allows it, in some cases,
and with full consultation, the best policy will be
to knock the garages down and provide parking spaces
in some of our estates.
So that was mentioned as part of the discussion.
It's not in the policy, you wouldn't expect it to be,
but that was taken on board and accepted by everyone.
Thank you. Councillor Patel. Sorry just one more clarification on this.
Cllr Smruti Patel - 0:08:17
Previously these garages were also only let out by HRA tenants so we are
changing that one part as well where you know even if you're not HRA tenants you
can rent them out but yeah try and figure out demographics and location
and yeah making sure they're closest to the garages if they're renting it. Good
thank you. Members this has been a round -and -round can we take it as being
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:08:41
agreed thank you we then move on to any other business and the first item of any

9 Any Other Business

other business is a gender item number 11 which is the budget monitoring report
25 26 quarter 4 and I'll hand over to Holly Whitbread in Geneva

11 Budget Monitoring Report 2025-26 Quarter 4 Provisional Outturn

Thank you and my apologies for not being there in person tonight. I very rarely miss cabinet
Cllr Holly Whitbread - 0:09:07
but unfortunately I'm away with work this evening. So this is the Budget Management
Report for the past year and I hope members have had an opportunity to look through it.
It's a relatively detailed report and paints a picture that we've really looked at in quarters
throughout the year. So there are some really positive news storeys within this report
So overall there's a 2 .6 million pound underspend,
which is good news and puts us in a good position
for next year.
We have seen additional income from TVS,
which is excellent.
We also saw an underspend from the Epping Leisure Centre,
which is capital, but it's worth mentioning.
It's a brilliant project,
fantastically managed by Amelia and James and team.
And it's great to see an underspend there.
But we also continue to see significant pressures.
Temporary accommodation is really at the top of that list
and we've seen a huge increase, 47 % increase
in that demand for temporary accommodation.
And obviously previously we've talked in detail a lot
at what mitigations we're going to take,
including bringing temporary accommodation in -house
and making sure that we have the supply that we need
and to meet the demand that we currently have.
But that's an increasing and ongoing pressure
that we are facing. There's a number of other under spends within this report, including
ICTs, so they're things that we've seen previously. We're also, we've seen more incoming come
in. It is in planning, so that's a bit of a change. Whether that's an increase in pre -applications,
we're waiting on the full detail and the full picture there, but we believe that that's
because of pre -applications coming in, maybe because of the government's speculative planning
I'm happy to take any questions and I believe Owen and Nuna are also there as well to take
any detailed questions this evening.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Members, any questions?
No?
Councillor Murray.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:11:05
Please, I've got one question and it came up in the report and it's come up in the oral
report all the way from Geneva.
Cllr Stephen Murray - 0:11:13
I have difficulty in having sympathy for anyone who's working when you're in the lovely city
of Geneva, but I suppose it's good if you can get it.
Well done, Holly.
And as you say, you are nearly always here.
My question is to do with the pressure of temporary accommodation, which is a general
fund expenditure.
Can the housing portfolio holder or any of the officers tell us where we are with the
alternative plans to to kind of balance that more within the HRA by our
in -house provision because there's a number of different options that are
being looked at I understand. Thank you. Councillor Patel. I will have to take
that away and bring it back to you if that's okay. Provide the response in
Thank you.
Cllr Smruti Patel - 0:12:02
Is Dawn alright?
Councillor Holly Whitbread, do you want to come in?
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:12:11
Cllr Holly Whitbread - 0:12:18
I think Jen can probably provide a fuller answer, but I am due to have a meeting with our officer who is looking at temporary accommodation and ways that we can mitigate that in -house, but that's in the coming week.
But I think Jen can probably provide a fuller answer. Thank you.
Thank you.
Jen?
Jennifer Gould - 0:12:31
We put together a project team to work on the different strands of mitigation against
the increase in the accommodation. There's a number of elements to that. One is that
we are looking at expanding the portfolio in terms of what sort of quick builds that
we can do. We're also looking at the potential for financing on -street properties and to
see whether that is a viable option as well. And then we are also making some changes to
the way that we are dealing with homelessness applications on the front line as a bit more
of a preventative measure. So we've put together a project team, we've got some project management
office to support with that now and we've got some member aid the site that
Councillor Holywort -Bred is going to be providing us so I think within the next
sort of few months we should be bringing that back probably to communities if the
chair of communities would like it there to report progress. Thanks Jen. Members I
I think what we're seeing is an improvement in our position with the present time.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:13:49
But of course we have to be very watchful because we know things can change very quickly
and we also know that out there in the wider world at the moment there is a lot of volatility
caused by the Iran war with the likelihood of interest rates rising and inflation increasing as we move through the year.
So I think we have to be very wary, but these are good figures for the time where we are.
But of course, we do have to be very, very open minded to what could come down the road
as we go through this year.
Any other questions?
Caster Whiskin.
Thank you, Chairman.
I've got three questions on the finances on page 10 and 11 of the report.
Cllr Graham Wiskin - 0:14:27
Could I take them one at a time?
Yes, please.
Thank you.
On page 10, the allusion to the £860 ,000 cost to the Bell Motel, can we have clarification
whether that is the full and final cost for that issue or not?
And can we explain the rest of the £0 .4 million which has been spent – sorry, correction
and the remainder, $140 ,000, which is spent on staffing costs.
Thank you. Mr Sparks, would you like to answer those ones?
Barbara?
Owen Sparks - 0:15:14
So the figure quoted at 860 ,000, that includes estimates of the full cost, although there
are some costs that are still to be finally determined. So that is our newest estimate
of the full costs at the moment.
And the remainder of the overspend relates
to additional costs supporting the monitoring officer
which is now built into the budget in 26 -27 going forward,
which members will remember from when we discussed
that previously.
Thank you.
The issue about staffing, I've raised this before,
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:16:01
hopefully we're going to budget correctly for it.
Cllr Graham Wiskin - 0:16:04
I mean, it's a sad reality that I believe that with the winding down of this council,
that the illusions in various places in the reports to staffing gaps will remain and costs
will continue if not to be higher than perhaps anticipated.
I think we should bear that in mind.
Reality is if I was in the shoes of somebody saying, well, there's a job for 18 months
and they're looking for a long -term post, you're not going to get the best calibre candidates
possibly and the reality is you may have to pay more for the better candidates for the
short time tenure.
The second question I had was about on page 10 as well, the costs for the Oakwood Hill
depot, it has been mentioned before in pre -budget meetings, when will that cost be allocated
to presumably QALYST?
The costs of the depot should always have been in the real costs of running that enterprise
because that's part of the price of running the business.
Thank you. Mr Sparks.
Owen Sparks - 0:17:11
What we've done, we've ensured again as part of the budget 2637 they are budgeted and that's
part of what we've been doing with the company review. It's been really clear what the full
costs of the operational services are. We're still in the process of working out where
the best place for them to actually see it,
but to be sure we'll have that transparency
about what the full cost of both police
and TVS operations are, and that's been part of that review.
Could we have a rough figure of what that is?
A rough pounds and pence amount.
The cost of the depot,
Cllr Graham Wiskin - 0:17:40
Owen Sparks - 0:17:43
we're actually getting that values at the moment.
We need to get a rental value for it
as part of the close accounts process.
So we'll have an indication over the next few weeks
as part of that process.
Thank you.
Councillor Whiskin.
Cllr Graham Wiskin - 0:17:55
My final question was on page 11, TVS, can we have an explanation of what the mobilisation
costs are which were one -off returns to the company which have benefited the gain which
is quoted?
Owen Sparks - 0:18:18
When TVS was initially set up, there was a mobilisation payment that was paid which was
to meet upfront costs that the company needed to incur
before it actually went live.
So not all those costs and the initial estimate
were incurred.
So what we've done, the amount that wasn't spent,
that's been returned back to the council.
But it was initial set up costs of the company
to get it mobilised and operational
before the actual contract started.
Thank you.
Any other questions?
Of course you can.
Councillor Lee.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:18:47
Thank you.
Cllr Jeane Lea - 0:18:52
It was to do with temporary accommodation, which we do quite well with it, but the only
thing with it, it's all over North Wield and people then who need temporary accommodation
like in Waltham Abbey can't get to and from there to carry on working.
So is there no chance of anything coming that way?
Is there no areas that some temporary accommodation can come in Waltham Abbey?
Councillor Patel.
Cllr Smruti Patel - 0:19:17
We are doing a review of everything that we have in terms of housing stock and
everything else as well so possibly we could yeah come back to you on that one
unless Jen or Holly already knows about the temporary accommodation they're
Cllr Holly Whitbread - 0:19:38
looking into part of their project. Thank you.
It is something we have been looking at for a long time, particularly in the south of
the district.
We are lacking in temporary accommodation and really temporary accommodation needs to
be somewhere with good and strong transport links.
One of the real challenges around having hotels is often they are not in the best places,
but as part of the review I am sure they will be looking at other locations including Wolf
Mabie, but it has to be in appropriate places.
is. Thank you Holly, thank you Jeannie, that's a really good question actually. Councillor
Jennifer Gould - 0:20:10
Patel. Oh sorry, Jen. Yeah, yeah, just to affect that, we have been looking, we are
always actively looking at sites in the south of the district because we are fully aware
that we do have a shortage of temporary accommodation there so we've also got
some temporary accommodation in Ongar as well as the places that Council
Hollywood Fred mentioned. So we're constantly looking at sites. We talk to our colleagues in
Qolis Commercial quite frequently as well when things come up and there have been
some sites over the years that we have been able to consider but unfortunately
none of them have proved to be viable but we will continue this search.
Thank you. Councillor Patel, did you want to come in?
Yeah, I mean one of the things I was saying, just identifying Jen had her hands up, but
Cllr Smruti Patel - 0:21:06
also not forgetting that we have got that development we've reopened in northern Abbey
as well, where a lot of our temporary accommodation residents have gone there as well. So now
they've been housed into permanent homes. Not quite temporary accommodation, but the
ones who were there in Norway House have managed to find placements there as well. So I understand,
yeah. We constantly look for it.
It's really important to get that good share of a temporary accommodation across the district.
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:21:34
And that's something you can tell we're working upon.
But a really good point.
And plus, it does take a lot of pressure off the general fund, if we can find the right
things.
Okay, so we now need to move into private session.
Before I do, I think Councillor Murray has made a good point previously about moving
into private session on the next two items.
Yes, I know, and what we've got in front of us is the legal words.
Cllr Stephen Murray - 0:22:02
I just did send an email to yourself and the relevant officers, as it's the start of a
new council year, and I think there is a renewed interest out there.
I've certainly had a few emails today asking why these items are in part two.
I think I understand why they are.
can we just be told in kind of everyday English why these two items are in part two?
Yeah, of course. Well, for a start there's commercial sensitivity around both companies
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:22:32
because obviously TVS is our waste company, Qualis delivers on our housing repairs, grounds maintenance
and obviously a number of different areas including development
and therefore there can be commercial sensitivity about what they actually offer to the council
and what we might want to offer to other councils at the same time.
So they have to be treated as commercial entities.
If I can, just before I go into private session, if I can just cover the recommendations properly
on the last report, the recommendations as agreed, sorry, as set out, can I just agree
those recommendations on the out -term figures?
Is that done?
Thank you very much.
So then I will ask members to consider to go into private session.

10 Exclusion of Public and Press

I hope that was an adequate answer for what you required.
Councillor Ar
Cllr Michael Owen - 0:23:25
I have reassured my residents that the accounts for both of the subs are consolidated into
the main ones. I think some of the residents get a little bit upset when they are in private
session but can maybe Owen Sparks just reassure our residents that actually, although if there
is things like debt in these companies, it is actually all consolidated up into the main
entity when we report? Yeah they are and also the counts are both audited
separately as well and they're consolidating to our council in subject
Owen Sparks - 0:23:50
audit again there. Okay now before we go into private session we'll actually just
Cllr Chris Whitbread - 0:24:00
say because obviously we're going into private session I won't get the
opportunity to say it elsewhere. I would like to thank Councillor Tim Matthews for
work that he's done on Qualis as a cabinet member over the past couple of
years. It's been really good work and of course he's also played a key part in the review
of our arms length companies along with officers that will be coming to scrutiny very shortly.
So members I have to ask to consider whether under section 100 in brackets A in brackets
4 of the Local Government Act 1972 the public and press should be excluded from the meeting
for the items of business set out below on grounds that they will involve the likely
disclosure of exempt information as defined in the following paragraphs of
part 1 of schedule 12a of the Act as amended and confidential under section
100 in brackets a in brackets 2 those two items are the TVS budget monitoring
report and the quality monitoring report members can I take that has been agreed
thank you okay so we'll now move into privacy
Cllr Rose Brookes
District councillor for Buckhurst Hill East and Whitebridge ward
Loughton Residents Association
View profile Cllr Rose Brookes
Jennifer Gould
Strategic Director - Chief Operating Officer
Epping Forest District Council
View profile Jennifer Gould
Cllr Jeane Lea
District councillor for Waltham Abbey North ward
Conservative Party
View profile Cllr Jeane Lea
Cllr Stephen Murray
District councillor for Loughton Roding ward
Independent
View profile Cllr Stephen Murray
Cllr Michael Owen
District councillor for Loughton Forest ward
Loughton Residents Association
View profile Cllr Michael Owen
Cllr Smruti Patel
District councillor for Buckhurst Hill West ward
Conservative Party
View profile Cllr Smruti Patel
Owen Sparks
Interim Strategic Director / S151 Officer
Epping Forest District Council
View profile Owen Sparks
Cllr Chris Whitbread
District councillor for Roydon and Lower Nazeing ward
Conservative Party
View profile Cllr Chris Whitbread
Cllr Holly Whitbread
District councillor for Epping West and Rural ward
Conservative Party
View profile Cllr Holly Whitbread
Cllr Ken Williamson
District councillor for Buckhurst Hill West ward
Conservative Party
View profile Cllr Ken Williamson
Cllr Graham Wiskin
District councillor for Loughton St John's ward
Loughton Residents Association
View profile Cllr Graham Wiskin